1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine with drying function, and, more particularly, to a washing machine with drying function that is capable of minimizing the flow resistance of air caused by a condensing duct although the washing machine with drying function is manufactured with a simple structure at low costs, whereby the drying performance of the washing machine with drying function is improved.
The present invention also relates to a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a washing machine is a machine that removes contaminants from clothes or bedclothes (hereinafter, referred to as “the laundry”) with water containing a detergent dissolved therein or clean water (hereinafter, referred to as “wash water”). Recently, the washing machine has been provided with various auxiliary units, such as a drying unit for drying the laundry.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view, cutaway in part, illustrating the inner structure of a conventional washing machine with drying function.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional washing machine with drying function comprises: a cabinet 2; a tub 10 mounted in the cabinet 2 for receiving wash water; a drum 20 rotatably disposed in the tub for receiving the laundry m; a motor 30 for rotating the drum while supporting the drum 20; and a drying unit 40 for drawing air out of the drum 20, condensing and heating the drawn air, and supplying the condensed and heated air into the drum 20 to dry the laundry m.
The cabinet 2 is provided at one side thereof with an inlet/outlet hole 3 for allowing the laundry m to be put into or taken out of the cabinet 2 therethrough. To the cabinet 2 is hingedly attached a door 4 for opening and closing the inlet/outlet hole 3.
The door 4 comprises: a doorframe 4a hingedly connected to the cabinet 2; and a door glass 4b attached to the doorframe 4a. The door glass 4b is formed such that the door glass 4b is convex toward the rear of the door glass 4b. 
The tub 10 is connected to a spring 5, which is connected to the top part of the cabinet 2, while the tub 10 is suspended by the spring 5. Also, the tub 10 is laid on a damper mounted to the bottom part of the cabinet 2, while the tub 10 is supported by the damper 6, such that shock applied to the tub 10 is absorbed by the damper 6.
To the tub 10 is connected a water-supply unit 12 for supplying wash water, which is supplied from the outside of the washing machine, into the tub 10. To the tub 10 is also connected a drainage unit 14 for draining wash water in the tub 10 out of the washing machine.
To the inner bottom part of the tub is mounted a washing heater 15 for heating wash water such that the laundry can be boiled by the heated wash water.
To the tub 10 is attached a gasket 16, which is closely coupled to the door 4, when the door 4 is closed, for preventing the laundry m, wash water, and air from flowing out of the space between the door 4 and the tub 10.
At the gasket 16 is formed a tub-shaped drying unit connection member 18, to which the drying unit 40 is connected, while the drying unit connection member 18 is protruded from one side of the gasket 16.
Specifically, the drying unit connection member 18 is formed at the outer circumferential part of the gasket 16 while being protruded in the radial direction of the gasket 16.
The drum 20 is provided with an inlet/outlet hole 21 for allowing the laundry m, wash water, and air to be introduced into and taken out of the drum 20 therethrough, and through-holes 22 for allowing wash water and air to be introduced into and discharged out of the drum 20 therethrough.
The motor 30 is supported by the tub 10 through a bearing disposed between the motor 30 and the tub 10 while a rotary shaft of the motor 30 penetrates the tub 10. The end of the motor is connected to the drum 20.
The drying unit 40 comprises: a condensing duct 42 connected to one side of the tub 10; a cooling water valve 43 for allowing cooling water to flow therethrough or stopping the cooling water from flowing therethrough; a cooling water hose 44 connected to the cooling water valve 43 for injecting cooling water into the condensing duct 42; a drying duct 48 communicating with the condensing duct 42 and having a circulating fan 45 and a drying heater 46 mounted therein for supplying high-temperature and low-humidity air into the drum 20; and a fan motor mounted to the drying duct 48 for rotating the circulating fan 45.
The condensing duct 42 has one end connected to the tub 10 while being perpendicular to the tub 10, and the other end connected to the drying duct 48.
The drying duct 48 has an outlet fixedly connected to the drying unit connection member 18 of the gasket 16 in such a manner that the outlet of the drying duct 48 is inserted in or fitted on the drying unit connection member 18.
The operation of the conventional washing machine with drying function will be described below.
When a user puts the laundry m into the drum 20, closes the door 4, and operates the washing machine, wash water is supplied to the washing machine through the water-supply unit 12.
The supplied wash water is introduced into the tub 10 such that the wash water is filled in the tub 10, and is also introduced into the drum 20 through the inlet/outlet hole 21 or the through-holes 22 of the drum 20 such that the laundry m is wetted by the wash water.
When the motor 30 is driven after the wash water is supplied as described above, the drum 20 is rotated. As a result, the laundry m is shaken in the drum 20 so that stains are removed by the wash water.
If the boiling mode is selected during the washing operation of the washing machine with drying function, the washing heater 15 is turned on to heat the wash water in the tub 10.
When the washing operation of the washing machine is finished as described above, the contaminated wash water in the tub 10 is drained out of the washing machine through the drainage unit 14.
Thereafter, several rinsing operations of the washing machine are carried out for rinsing out bubbles left in the laundry m. The water-supply unit 12 and the motor 30 are controlled to rinse out the bubbles left in the laundry as in the washing operation, and the contaminated water, including the bubbles, is drained out of the washing machine through the drainage unit 14.
After the rinsing operations of the washing machine are carried out several times as described above, the dewatering operation is carried out for centrifugally separating moisture from the laundry m.
As the dewatering operation of the washing machine has been finished as described above, the drying unit 40 is operated to dry the laundry m.
The motor 30 is driven to rotate the drum 20, and the cooling water valve 43, the circulating fan 45, and the drying heater 46 are turned on. In this way, the drying operation of the washing machine is carried out.
As the cooling water valve 43 is opened, the cooling water is injected into the condensing duct 42. As the circulating fan 45 is rotated, low-temperature and high-humidity air in the drum 20 is introduced into the condensing duct 42 through the tub 10. Moisture in the air is condensed by the cooling water while the air passes through the condensing duct 42.
The air having passed through the condensing duct 42 is guided through the drying duct 48. At this time, the air is heated by the drying heater 46, and therefore the air is changed into hot wind. The hot wind passes through the drying unit connection member 18 of the gasket 16, is guided to the inside of the gasket 16, strikes the door glass 4b of the door 4, and is then blown toward the drum 20 such that the laundry is dried by the blown hot wind. As a result, the hot wind is changed into low-temperature and high-humidity air.
In the conventional washing machine with drying function as described above, however, noise is increased due to the presence of the circulating fan 45 and the fan motor 49. Also, the manufacturing costs of the washing machine with drying function are increased due to the provision of the drying duct 48, the condensing duct 42, the circulating fan 45, and the fan motor 49. In addition, a circulating channel, which is defined by the condensing duct 42 and the drying duct 48, is complicated with the result that the flow resistance of air is increased. Also, the capacities of the tub 10 and the drum 20 are decreased as much as the space occupied by the condensing duct 42.
Furthermore, the condensing duct 42 is connected to the tub 10 while being perpendicular to the tub 10 in the conventional washing machine with drying function, with the result that the flow resistance of air introduced into the condensing duct 42 from the tub 10 is increased. Consequently, power consumption of the drying heater 46 is considerably increased.